top of page
GRACE AND GRATITUDE
a moment to pause

Search


Thank You: May 7 - 13
If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough. Meister Eckhart 13th century German mystic For me,...

danmcneil14
May 6, 20231 min read


Beginner’s Mind: April 30 - May 6
If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything, it is open to everything. In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities,...

danmcneil14
Apr 29, 20231 min read


Intention: April 23 - 29
Over the last few weeks, you’ve constructed a framework for meditation. First, you set up an inviting space. Second, you focused the mind...

danmcneil14
Apr 22, 20231 min read


Posture: April 16 - 22
You’ve created a welcoming space. You’ve arrived. Now pay attention to your physical posture. Be upright but not uptight. In other words,...

danmcneil14
Apr 15, 20231 min read


Arriving: April 9 - 15
Do you ever dream of going on vacation, where you can leave behind the demands of work, show up in a relaxing location, and just be for a...

danmcneil14
Apr 8, 20231 min read


On the Cushion: April 2 - 8
Meditation can be thought of as a formal practice as well as an informal practice. Sitting like a monk is formal practice while taking a...

danmcneil14
Apr 1, 20232 min read


Photosynthesis: March 26 - April 1
As I enter into my quiet time, the tree in the front yard inspires me. I am struck not only by its beauty, but also by its continuous...

danmcneil14
Mar 25, 20231 min read


Clearing: March 19 - 25
Do not try to save the whole world or do anything grandiose. Instead, create a clearing in the dense forest of your life and wait there...

danmcneil14
Mar 18, 20231 min read


Coming to Be: March 12 - 18
My breath reminds me of the mystery of being. Breathe and be grounded. Breathe and be mindful. Breathe and be grateful. Breathe and be...

danmcneil14
Mar 12, 20231 min read


Tending: March 5 - 11
Tending is a cool word. Mindfulness is about paying attention. Notice "attending" has tending tucked into it. Tending makes me think of...

danmcneil14
Mar 5, 20231 min read


Connected: February 26 - March 4
Here's why the metta practice works for me. I'm an introvert by nature. While social distancing and quarantining got old after a couple...

danmcneil14
Feb 26, 20231 min read


The Love I Long For: February 19 - 25
I sit with my longing to know and be known, to let the molecules of me dissolve into the great aliveness. I long for the oneness that...

danmcneil14
Feb 19, 20231 min read


Compassion: February 12 - 18
Mindfulness challenges me to be present even and especially when life is hard. Metta tells me to keep my heart open even and especially...

danmcneil14
Feb 12, 20231 min read


Metta: February 5 - 11
Tara Brach describes mindfulness and metta or loving kindness as two wings of a bird: With the wing of mindfulness, you develop the...

danmcneil14
Feb 5, 20231 min read


Wherever You Are: January 29 - February 4
Forget about enlightenment. Sit down wherever you are. And listen to the wind singing in your veins. Feel the love, the longing, the fear...

danmcneil14
Jan 29, 20231 min read


Reasons to Breathe: January 22 - 28
The key way I learned to meditate is by paying attention to the breath. I do this for many reasons: On a physiological level, a slow,...

danmcneil14
Jan 22, 20231 min read


Lectio Divina
Religious traditions throughout the world have various methods for contemplating sacred texts. Here’s a time-tested practice for inspired...

danmcneil14
Jan 15, 20231 min read


With the Stars All Around: January 15 - 21
I wish you the peace of sleep, your breath a canoe that carries you toward the next moment without any need for you to touch the oars....

danmcneil14
Jan 15, 20231 min read


Doorway: January 8 - 14
While the mind often dwells in the past or worries about the future, the body is always in the present. The breath connects us to the...

danmcneil14
Jan 8, 20231 min read


Breath: January 1 - 7
Everything breathes. I breathe. Trees breathe. The ocean breathes. The earth breathes. Often I sync up my thoughts with the ebb and flow...

danmcneil14
Jan 4, 20231 min read
Don't miss a blog update. To be added to the Grace and Gratitude email list, enter your name and email address below.

bottom of page
